Sidney howe shoet



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

s. H. SHORT.

ELECTRIC ALARM AND SIGNAL BELL. No. 357,865. Patented-Feb. 15,1887.

(No Model.) 2 SheetsS11eet 2.

S. H. SHORT.

ELECTRIC ALARM AND SIGNALBELL.

Np. 557.555. P55511555 Feb. 15, 1887.

N. PEYERS. Phmo-Lnm n hor. Wa-Nngtm 0.5.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFEIcE.

SIDNEY HO\VE SHORT, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOE TO THE UNITED STATES ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC ALARM AND SIGNAL BELL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 357,865,. dated Februaryils, 1887.

Application filed October 12,1886. Serial No. 216,056. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern: M is shown as conveniently fixed to a depend- Be it known that l, SIDNEY Hown SHORT, ing support beneath the car, but may be fixed of Denver,in the county ofArapahoe and State in any other position, as circumstances may of Colorado, have invented a new and useful dictate. The rigid contact and spring-con- Improvement in Electric Alarm and Signal tact c are fixed beneath the platform, as shown 5 Bells; and I do hereby declare that the followin the drawings, and are so arranged that a ing is a full, clear, and exact description of bolt, S, having a suitable head and dropped the same. into a hole in the platform, rests on the'spring- My invention relates to electric locomotives contact, so that any pressure applied by the or street-cars propelled by electricity and arfoot on the head of the bolt will press down 60 ranged to run on a closed circuit; and it eonthe spring and open the circuit, which is norsists of a signal or alarm bell placed in the mally closed. The arrangement shown is main circuit and adapted to be run by the curadapted to be operated by the foot; but obvirent without breaking the circuit. ously it may be arranged to operate by the In street-cars operated by electricity, where hand as well. WVhile the spring is in contact 6 the motors are placed in series on a single conwith the rigid piece 0 the circuit is closed, and

ductor arranged to supply them with power the current is short-circuited around the magandniade to be operated on aconstantly-closed net M. On a spring, 0, is suspended the circuit, it is convenient and necessary to have armature a of the magnet M. The end of the an electric alarm-bell or signal-bell to warn armature carriesahammer, h, arranged, when 70 persons of the approach of the cars. It is the armature is'drawn down, to strike a bell, necessary for the bell to be operated by the B. The armature carries a contact-piece, j, motor driven from either end of the car, or connected by means of the spring 0 and wire for the conductor to ring it from within any 3 with the wire 10 of the electro-magnet circar on a train of cars. The bell must be arcuit. The other wire, 20, of that circuit is con 75 ranged to ring on a closed circuit, and in no nected to an adjustable contact, 2', in range way break the circuit while in operation. with the contactj. \Vheu the contact at c c This bell, hereinafter described, is especially is broken, the current is shunted through the arranged for electric locomotives, where it electro-magnet M and the armature is brought must run in series on a closed circuit; but it down, which delivers a blow of the hammer 80 can be used on any closed circuit. upon the bell. At the same time the contact Figure 1 represents in side elevation the j is brought down to the adjustable contactbell apparatus in connection with the platform point t, and the current is thereby shunted of an ordinary streetcar, but does not show around the electromagnet and the armature the propelling motor or its connections, as released. .This is repeated so long as the con- 85 they are not necessary to the explanation of tact at c c is broken; but the circuit is conthis invention. Fig. 2 is a similar View of a stantly maintained and the bell rings conmodification. stantly while the shunt-circuit through c c is Fig. 1 shows a vibrating bell arranged to broken. As before said, it is immaterial ring continuously on a closed circuit as long whether this be done by a pin arranged for the 0 as the foot or hand is pressed on the knob S foot or hand. or the short circuit around the bell is in any In Fig. 2 I have shown a single-stroke bell way opened. In this figure is shown an elec arranged to work in a different manner, but tro-magnet, M, which is connected by wires, in the same closed circuit. The electro-magw w, of low resistancewit-h the opposite poles net in closed circuit, and the shunt-circuit 5' of the current-gatherer C of the car or 1000- throughx x, and spring-contact with depressmotive. The poles of the magnet are also in ing piece S are the same; but there is only circuit with a shunt consisting of wires a: or, the hammer h attached to the same springwhich are closed through arigi'd contact, 0, mounted armature, a. lVhile the circuit and a springcontact, 0. The electro-magnet through c c is closed no current passes through the coils of M and the bell is at rest; but when the circuit is broken by depression of c the current passes through the coils of M and the armature is drawn down, thus causing a stroke of the hammer upon the bell, which is returned by the release of the spring This is repeated by repeated depressions of the pin S, making and breaking the circuit. The wire 00 may be looped into and carried to the other end of the car or to any part of it, and a springcontact, 0 0*, like 0 0, can be placed in circuit in this short circuit below the other platform, all as shown in Fig. 2, or in the cars. When the end of the line is reached and the other end of the car becomes the front end, the driver lifts the button S and places it in a similar hole in that end, thus enabling him to control the bell and preventing any person else from ringing it.

I claim 1. In combination with the currentgatlierer of an electric car or locomotive, an electromagnet in a closed circuit connected with said gatherer, a hammer on the armature of said magnet, a bell arranged to be struck by said hammer when the armature is attracted by the magnet, a shunt-circuit having contact-pieces normally closed, and provided with means whereby the branch circuit may be opened, substantially as described.

2. In combination with the current gatherer of an electric car or locomotive, an electromagnet in a closed circuit connected with said gatherer, a hammer on the armature of said magnet carrying a contact-piece connected to the 1nagnet-circuit and adapted, when the armature is drawn to the magnet, to bear on a contact, a, connected to the other wire of the armature-circuit, a bell arranged to be struck by said hammer when the armature is attracted by the magnet, a shunt-circuit having contact-pieces nornially closed, and provided with means whereby the branch circuit may be opened, substantially as described.

3, In combination with the current-gatherer of an electric car, an electro-magnetwin a closed circuit connected with said gatherer, a hammer on the armature of said magnet, and a bell arranged to be struck by said hammer when the armature is drawn to. the magnet, a

shunt around said magnet looped to both ends 7 of the car and having contact-pieces normally closed, and means whereby the attendant may open the circuit, all substantially as described.

In testimony whereofI have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SIDNEY HOWE SHORT.

\Vitnesses D. G. REUsoH, W. B. STEWART. 

